Prepare thoroughly. In addition to warming up the fingers, warm up your brain by running over scales and arpeggios in related keys. Play these scales using tempi, articulation and dynamics which relate to the repertoire being studied. Use exercises which feature similar patterns, such as cross-rhythms, large leaps or chromatic passages.
Reduce reliance on the instrument. So-called ‘mental practice’ that takes place away from the instrument can be immensely useful at different points in the learning process and will show up any over-reliance on muscle memory. Also try removing the score to test your memory.
Be accurate. Do not practise mistakes! Work out the correct rhythms and settle on efficient fingering patterns before any erroneous passages become embedded. An understanding of the overarching structure can help to make sense of the piece as a whole and improve accuracy.
Consider the context. When introducing new repertoire, consider why the composer wrote the piece. Is it telling a story? Is it a study focusing on a particular technical challenge? Is it a piece of dance music? Is it part of a larger work? Listen to performances of the piece, not in order to learn by rote, but to absorb different interpretations. Refer to related works; for example, if you are learning Petzold's famous Minuet in G major from the Anna Magdalena Bach book of 1725, play through his Minuet in G minor. If the piece is an arrangement, listen to its original version. If it is from a larger work, listen to the other movements or other pieces from the suite. Consider the meaning of the title and make sure the definitions of all the signs and symbols are known.
Transpose. Try taking a passage from the piece and transposing it into different related keys or, if this is too advanced, play in different octaves. This will deepen familiarity with the music and its patterns. Start with something in a simple texture, then progress to transposing in a more contrapuntal style, such as the opening of Bach's Invention No. 1 in C major.
Improvise imaginatively. Take a phrase or motif, or a harmonic feature of the piece such as the pentatonic scale, and use this as the basis for an improvisation. This can also be an effective way to consolidate a tricky left-hand pattern or an awkward cross-rhythm. If teaching a simple blues piece, such as Bedford Square Blues from the ABRSM Grade 1 Jazz syllabus, use the bassline or an amended version to improvise over, in order to increase familiarity with the chord progression on which it is based.
Practise slowly. If you cannot play the piece correctly at a slow tempo, it is unlikely you can play it accurately up to speed. Slow practice is invaluable. Additionally, teach pupils to practise strategically, spending more of their time and energy on challenging passages rather than always starting at the beginning. This is not always obvious to learners!
Keep in time. It cannot be overstated how important it is to have a rock-solid underlying pulse. While this must be internalised for performance, a metronome is a very useful intermediary practice tool. Discourage any ‘rubato’ which is wholly informed by passages of greater technical difficulty!
Feel the nuances. Do not ‘add’ dynamics, articulation and other marks of expression as if they are optional extras; instead, think of them as integral to the music. Even a beginner pianist can introduce subtleties, such as shading off slurred notes or emphasising an important inner phrase, but these should be introduced sufficiently early in the learning process that they feel organic and will not be forgotten in the heat of a performance. For example, Schubert's ‘Melodie’ from Album for the Young contains several challenges for the beginner pianist, such as the interplay of the two hands, which could lead to a performance sounding rather mechanical if these are not carefully addressed in the initial stages.
Give a performance. Practising playing a piece is not the same as practising performing it in front of an audience or an examiner. Take full advantage of any opportunities to take part in concerts and to perform to friends and family. Make a recording or video of your performance and use this to evaluate your progress.
